Who We Are

Founded in 1992 United European Gastroenterology (UEG) is the leading non-profit organisation for excellence in digestive health in Europe and beyond with its headquarters in Vienna. We improve the prevention and care of digestive diseases in Europe through providing top tier education, supporting research and advancing clinical standards.

As Europe’s home and umbrella for multidisciplinary gastroenterology, we unite over 50,000 engaged professionals from national and specialist societies, individual digestive health experts and related scientists from all fields and career stages. Over 24,000 digestive healthcare professionals from around the world have joined the myUEG Community as myUEG Associates and myUEG Young GI Associates. The myUEG Community enables digestive health professionals from across the globe to become myUEG Associates and thereby connect, network and benefit from a wide range of free resources and educational activities.

Our offers include our annual congress UEG Week, online and face-to-face educational experiences, research support, a scientific journal and a range of opportunities in the form of fellowships and grants. We provide numerous guidelines, standards and quality improvement initiatives and campaign at the European level to ensure continued resources for research into digestive health while working closely with patient organisations.

Browse our publications for more detailed information:

• Year in Review 2023
• UEG's funding sources 2023
• Strategic plan 2023-2026
• Equality & Diversity Plan
• The UEG green paper – climate change and gastroenterology
• History

UEG unites 17 Specialist (ordinary) Member Societies and 49 National Societies working in the broad area of digestive health, constantly adapting to the changing requirements of scientific research and health care.

Following our mission and a dedicated strategic plan, the overall leadership and strategic direction of UEG rests with the Council. The committees and task forces enable interested volunteers to play an active role in shaping current and future UEG initiatives and form the operating body of the organisation.

Member Societies are represented in the Meeting of Members that elects or appoints UEG Council members. Each Specialist (ordinary) Member Society has the opportunity to send one representative to UEG’s committees. 

All officers of UEG, regardless of position, provide their effort and time on a complete voluntary basis, and therefore make UEG a non-profit organisation concerned solely with the well-being of patients.

UEG is dedicated to achieving its mission in an open, transparent and democratic manner according to the highest standards of ethics. Together with other members of the Biomedical Alliance in Europe, UEG has approved and adopted the Code of Conduct of healthcare professionals and scientific organisations.

This code sets out core principles for health care professional and scientific organisations to maintain and enhance professional independence, objectivity and scientific integrity. It guides all persons serving UEG in the development and implementation of UEG’s activities. UEG volunteers and senior employees sign a Declaration of Interest (DoI) to disclose any possible conflicts between their duties towards UEG and their private interests.

Diversity, integrity and respect, as well as transparency, accountability, sustainability, quality, and independence form the core values of UEG as a professional non-profit organisation. We strive to ensure inclusivity and equality of opportunities for all engaged digestive health professionals and staff, independent of age, gender identity, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, and ability. We are committed to creating an equitable environment that is free from discrimination, as we believe that diversity of thought, experience, and perspective is essential for driving innovation, creativity, and success. 

We will maintain a community where everyone feels valued, supported, and included. Assigned by the UEG Council, the UEG Equality & Diversity Group continues to oversee our efforts in this regard. 

Read UEG Equality & Diversity Plan 

The GI workforce has a clear responsibility to raise awareness and call to action to address the challenges that a warming climate poses to humanity. UEG, together with our National and Specialist Member Societies, must advocate for change to reduce our carbon footprints. It is becoming more critical than ever to ensure that our society is doing its part to reduce its carbon footprint. The myUEG Community’s commitment to offset our ecological impact by various measures is outlined in the UEG Green paper.

Access the UEG Green Paper

UEG was formally established in 1992 with the first UEG Week hosted by the Hellenic Society of Gastroenterology under the leadership of Constantine Arvanitakis in Athens. UEG Week developed and the number of attendees increased constantly. With progressive growth there was also an urgent need to strengthen the central administrative capability. This process and the first 20 years of UEG’s existence has been summarised in the 20th Anniversary brochure.

During the past years UEG has established itself as one of the most effective and prestigious medical specialty organisations in the world. Relive the last three decades of UEG by reading this UEG Journal article written by former President Michael Farthing: 30 years of UEG: What has been achieved and what does the future hold?

Find out what UEG contributed in 30 years and where we are headed for the decades to come by watching this UEG Week 2022 Anniversary session held on occasion of UEG’s 30^th birthday.

UEG's journey through the past 30 years is summarised in this video.